I just read this on yahoo finance and all I gotta say is “Huh?”
Eat Healthier
A healthy eating plan can be as — or more — economical than fast food. “It’s a total myth that eating healthy is expensive,” says Tallmadge. “It’s the cheapest way to eat.”
“The fat, the salty, the sweet, that’s the expensive stuff,” she says. For example, a 10-ounce bag of potato chips is $2.59. For the same money, you could buy four pounds of potatoes, which contain vitamins and fiber, she says.
Ok, so “huh” is not all I am going to say. Clearly this woman does not coupon. While many organic and health-food-type manufacturers are getting wise to the growing consumer purchase of organic and all natural products and sending out coupons, junk food is still a heck of a lot cheaper than healthy eating healthy in pure economic terms, IMO. My trip through the taco drive through last night cost me under $3 for dinner. And look at all the deals and coupons McDonald’s, Subway, Whataburger, Sonic and the bazillion other fast food places put out daily.
I won’t got into health terms because there I do agree long term eating healthier could be economically more sound. I say could be not definitely is because when I look back at my family tree healthy eating was seldom a consideration and few of my ancestors have died before reaching their 80s. Heck, my great, great, great grandfather on my paternal side lived to be 99, IN POLAND! Back in the 1600-1700s. That is like living to be 1000 today. My great-grandmother died when I was 25… at 93 eating eggs fried in bacon grease every day and she was never ill until she was 92. My grandfather lives on chocolate and fried foods and he’s 91… and he golfed daily until he was 88!
So, that is where my could be comes from. A lot of it is genetic.
But getting back to my main point… who pays full price for chips? There’s always some deal deal going on where they are B1G1 and have a coupon, and possibly a rebate. I have enough chocolate in the house to last until June (if I was still eating it that is, it is off to my grandfathers this week!), and I got it at 75% off. Every frozen fast food pizza and kids snack ends up cheap or free after a double coupon in the grocery store. With Catalina deals, much of it can still be free even without doubles.
But, to eat healthy cheaply requires a lot of planning and good fortune. You just cannot go into the store and pick up a pack of non-cryovaced organic or all natural beef for a family of four for under $10. And that is just the beef. What about the fresh vegetables? In the winter that is costly. My MIL is on a strict diet due to health concerns and that diet could not be more “healthy”. It is a diabetic diet that is also extremely low in sodium (1/3 of recommended daily sodium maximums). It costs her (ONE person) $150 per week to eat. (And I’ve never read so many labels in my life as when shopping for her!) If you had a family of four, that would be $600. Tell me in what universe that is inexpensive?
For myself I choose to eat healthier now whenever possible. But, back in my 20s and 30s those free whatevers in the grocery freezer kept us fed many a night. And I truly do call BS on “It’s a total myth that eating healthy is expensive”. It is not a myth, it is, unfortunately, for many/most the truth.
So what do you think? Is it cheaper in pure economic terms for you and your family to “eat healthy” or not? And, if you can get the good stuff cheaper, what are your tips and tricks?
Ann,
As one of my aunts like to say, rich folks can eat properly and look slim and trim. Her father lived into his early 90′s and until he went into a home, his breakfast was eggs and sometime green tomatoes fried in bacon grease. IMHO, it was growing up doing physical work, usually on a farm, and there were alot more back breaking jobs that folks worked for their whole life or until retirement.
I grew up in a household where coupons usage went back to the 60′s and MQ typically were cut from the newspaper. We ate healthy and cheap for many years; but as you pointed out, MQ, sales, and very cheap ‘junk food’ led my father to start bringing in pre-made items. The value of a dollar is to ingrained into the head of many who grew up during the Depression and WW2.
Putting aside all those stories of posters who teach MQ usage classes, I just don’t see the poor and often overweight shopper bargain shop. Too often their attitude, along with the cashiers, is that a MQ user, like me, is holding up the line. Organic and healthy items in their basket, are you serious.
That chocolate is not making it out of the house Who are you kidding
I agree. Our family are long-lasting and ate lard when growing up in the South.
Rhonda
Okay, got me on my soap box now. Also, they lack to point out how important exercise/activity is and health advances. What is the basis for the hypothesis? Our relatives were active in their younger years. Myself also. I think that plays a vital part in the long term equation. There are a great many aspects neglected to be approached in that generic statement.
Rhonda
Hi Kas,
I never see thin or heavy as a sign of health either way. For every Jack Lalanne there is a Jim Fixx.
However I definitely agree that it is easier to eat healthy if you are well off. Look at my example of my MIL posted above. Who can afford $150 per person, per week, for their family? Only someone that was wealthy. Now granted my MIL’s healthy diet is not the only one out, but after reading all those labels and seeing what my husband plans out for her daily, I can’t imagine the cost would come down too much on a different healthy diet (although I’m hoping folks chime in with their suggestions!)
That is why I always sing the praises of our CSA. Less than $300 provides us with about 9 months of vegetables (this includes what we freeze). While I still have to buy produce, we are fortunate enough to live in NYS and have access to an abundance of cheap fruit too!
Ann
For me, it is about the same. I shop at Aldi, so when it comes to groceries, I can choose 4# of oranges or two bags of chips for the same amount of $. Much of the poor population is using food stamps to purchase groceries. I have worked as a cashier @ Walmart Supercenter – in my experience, they are NOT using coupons or bargain shopping. They are purchasing soda, candy, chips, huge trays of Fridays chicken wings, frozen pizzas, etc.
Hi Rhonda,
That chocolate is going, I swear!
Yes, our ancestors were more active but they did not have access quality health care. Think about it, 200 years ago an appendicitis killed you. A toothache could. Mass measles epidemics, whooping cough etc. So I wonder to what extent activity vs advanced medical care is a wash? Does that mean if we are really active with today’s better medical care we’ll all live to be 90?
Ann
Hi Heather,
Then that would go along with Kas’ opinion that people on food stamps really need to be taught to coupon. The classes at community center, schools and churches would be invaluable to those that do not have constant internet access.
Ann
Hi Heather,
My family is part of that “poor population” on food stamps (my husband was laid off last April and I am a SAHM still nursing my son). I also coupon and did not start doing so until after we started getting food stamps. I manage to turn our $415 food stamp budget into at least $1300 worth of food. I typically use my RRs and ECBs for my newspapers and diapers.
Not all poor people buy crap with their food stamps. If it wasn’t for couponing, I believe our ship would have sunk last summer. $415 is actually not a lot for a typical family of 3 who doesn’t coupon. I try to make it stretch as far as I can.
Hi Brandi,
Personal question … did you take a class to get started or just jump in online to learn to coupon?
I hope hubby finds a great job if he has not already.
Ann
I think you would be surprised how many families pay full price for a bag of potatoe chips! I started couponing in June of ’09. I never clipped a coupon or even LOOKED at the store ad before that. I didn’t realize how much money could be saved by using coupons. It didn’t seem worth the time to clip coupons for a few dollars. Then I started using them and WOW!! So, I can understand the author of this article… it mirrors my way of thinking before coupons.
Hi Cali! Long time no see!
Like I said, she clearly is not a couponer.
Ann
Hi Ann,
I just jumped in head first!! I found a couple of sites (including yours) and within about 3 weeks I was averaging 65-75% savings. I am hooked and don’t think I could ever go back to paying full price again!!
Brandi
Last year the local newspaper ran an article about the difficulties of feeding the family or yourself on food stamps. A small group, including my state rep, went through an exercise of shopping at the local Aldi and than eating for a month on the amount given to one individual. My poor rep had it hard, since she strictly eats a Kosher diet. I was very tempted to call up the article writer to explain how to squeeze the most out of an EBT card and perhaps even have a few items to donate to a food pantry.
Given we don’t know what might happen in the future, proper planning for an emergency is wise. Word is that the dead fool in Las Vegas lost over $300 monthly in CA taxpayers paid money for leaving that state.
Hi Brandi,
Ah you did the old fashioned way! I am self-taught too only no internet back in the then. We read the ads off chiseled rock.
Ann
It all depends on how you are eating healthy. Eating anything processed – anything with a label – is not healthy, according to some “experts.” I am just throwing stuff out to consider.
Family #1: Grows their own fruit and vegetables, saving seeds for next growing season. Very fresh, very healthy, zero cash output for these, costs only hard work and sweat. Eats mailny veggies and fruit, trades surplus with neighbors that grow grain for breads, so again zero cash. Buys (or slaughters) a cow when needed – fresh meat, lasts a long time. Cost??? Raises chickens for eggs and chicken. Owns a cow for milk. ??? Very healthy, very little money.
Family #2: NO IDEA about couponing, eats out whenever the urge strikes – about 4x/week, no concept of budgeting, never look at the sale ads, buys mailny convenience foods, never reads labels, loves all-you-can-eat buffets, grabs a ‘healthy’ snack sometimes at the gas station of a banana ($.89 each) or some grapes ($2.99/handfull). Very unhealthy, very expensive.
Family #3: Couponing family, saves whenever possible, buys what they can on sale – even convenience foods, read labels to make sure not too much fat, sugar, or salt, search out sale ads and coupon matchups, shops Target for cheap or free produce with coupons, price match when possible, has a stockpile, buys in season, can and/or freeze as much as will fit in freezer. Thrifty and (fairly) healthy.
Family #4: Somewhere in between. Healthy? Maybe. Economical? Who knows.
So, who is this article describing? It did say “a 10-ounce bag of potato chips is $2.59. For the same money, you could buy four pounds of potatoes” which is a true statement in and of itself if you in fact pay $2.59 for chips and $.65/pound for potatoes. BUT it does not take into account the cost to cook said potatoes. It must cost something to turn on the stove.
I do know families with reasons to eat healthier than the better part of the population. If you want to eat organic, have an allergy (like to gluten), or if you only eat Kosher, you may pay a little more but if you are a savvy shopper you can still cut your cost by as much as 50% or more. (Sorry for the looong post.)
First of all, sometimes it’s cheaper to eat healthy, like the summer time when more fruits and veggies are available. But the winter time is different, when most fruits and some veggies are out of season, or you have to pay a ridiculous amount for the same thing. I dont mean to be mean, but me and my husband are learning to live off of a $300 monthly budget for the 2 of us. i understand diapers are expensive, but i believe there are reusable diapers out there, it’s old fashioned but it’s been done for years, and it cuts the use of ur carbon foot print. we watched how much energy and resources consumed just to make diapers, it’s ridiculous.
we eat from the pantry (that pantry challenge) and just buying meat and some veggies during the week. i have also on my part trying to only a meat meal for dinner. doesn’t always work out like that but my fav is fried tortillas, with vegan style refried beans, and a mixture of diced tomatoes, onions, cilantro (optional) and maybe some veggies about to go bad, for instance carrots and celery.
i coupon like crazy, we keep the temp at 65 no higher (wear a sweater, and put on a blanket if ur cold, unplug everything at night, i make an attempt to not turn on anything during the day while my husband is at work, but again it doesn’t always work out.
recycle to get our money back, its not much sometimes but better than nothing and we are saving the envirnoment, infact i just moved to VA and i am very disappointed with the lack to recycling centers here, so i wrote a personal letter to the governor, so we’ll see what happens with that.
we pay ourselves each paycheck, and set aside cash for eating out, once it’s gone, it’s gone.
our goal is to pay off all our debt by early 2012, and from there save what would go to bills (since we’re used to not having it) and saving that to buy a house straight out. i refuse to get a house loan and have a payment for 20 years just to pay interest that totals to the cost of the house, they will not get that from us!!! i absolutely refuse to shell over that kind of money!
I’m just so glad that we aren’t paying full price for everything any more. I could use that candy, my husband is the candy monster, he eats it all the time, i have to find deals for candy all the time, if i dont he will pay the regular price for it, and then i get mad because i could have gotten the same thing for cheaper. our endless cycle. but we are blessed!!
DD
Ann,
What a terrific post. As a new couponer (6 months ago) and a new vegetarian (5 months ago – and one that tries to be a fairly healthy vegetarian) this blog hits home. My wife and I eat a vegetarian diet and my three children now eat a lot less meat. The article is right and wrong. For TRUE couponers it is cheaper to eat less healthy food than eating a really healthy diet. For example, organic valley milk (even with a coupon) is twice the amount than regular milk. With that said, our family has still cut down our food bill by about 40-50% or so even with buying higher priced organic food and more fruits and vegetables since becoming a couponer. First off, we eat LESS food. Secondly, there are amazing coupons out there for vegetarian products such as tofu, quorn products, frozen vegetables, organic milk, pasta, beans ect. We eat more tofu now and per pound with a coupon tofu is cheaper than meat even when its on sale. We also go to the farmers market and freeze what we can in the winter. I’m embarrassed to say that this summer was my first farmer’s market experience. Holy cow you can get a spaghetti squash for 75 cents. It’s like 5-6 bucks at the store even in the summer. My favorite winter coupons are on frozen vegetables. I haven’t spent a dime on frozen veggies for two months! Hey mabye those chocolate lovers out there (Ann) can melt down some of the chocolate and dip some veggies in it. Free chocolate and free veggies can make quite a combination. Just baby steps for those chocoholics out there.
Hi DD,
Since you are doing the pantry challenge, check out my Stockpile Recipes. Nearly all can be made with things you will have gotten cheap/free after coupons.
Ann
Hi Sean,
Did you ever go to any of the orchards up north? Will you be doing the CSA next year? Link You can buy two shares if it works better for your family. Their blog is actually more updated in spring, summer and fall. here
Link to national CSA database
Ann
link
The cast of The Today Show learn ‘serious’ grocery shopping. Getting $100 worth of items for two bits each week, the term when pigs fly come to mind.
Thanks for the link, Ann! I had no idea there were CSAs in my area!! I will have to look into joining one this year…